Medications are often prescribed in a solid dosage form which many patients are unable to swallow, requiring these medications to be administered in an oral liquid form. The populations unable to swallow solid dosage forms and are in need of liquid formulations include pediatric patients, older patients with dysphagia, ICU patients and patients on enteral nutrition. Acid-related disorders are one of the most common conditions affecting these populations and as such are associated with significant healthcare resource utilization. Common disorders of acid-related conditions include: gastric ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Helicobactor pylori infection, non-ulcer related dyspepsia, gastritis, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The prevalence of chronic acid-related disorders in the US is on the rise, with GERD and peptic ulcer disease (PUD) responsible for the majority of occurrences. GERD is reported as afflicting more than 60 million Americans, showing 20% of the population having symptoms at least twice a week.
In order to successfully manage acid-related disorders, gastric acid production must be suppressed with the use of a Proton Pump inhibitor (PPI). PPIs are a critical group of medications that treat and prevent a range of diseases and pathologies that relate to the production of excess stomach acid and consequent damage to the GI tract (e.g., gastroesophageoal reflux disease, gastroesophageoal disorders). Several PPIs are approved for use, but are generally limited to solid dosage forms.